Astana, Kazakhstan, June 5
By Daniyar Mukhtarov - Trend:
Kazakhstan's parliament may ratify the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty in September, Kazakh MP Maulen Ashimbayev said.
"We are waiting for the treaty in the Kazakh parliament in September. The president set the task before us on synchronizing the ratification process of the treaty with the parliaments of Russia and Belarus. So, we will work closely with our colleagues in these countries and will make every effort to carry out the ratification of the signed document simultaneously," he said.
Heads of the three states - Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus - signed an agreement on the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union on in Astana on May 29. The purpose of this union is to reveal the economic potential of its member states.
Maulen Ashimbayev noted that Kazakhstan`s entrance into the union does not mean that the republic abandoned the multi-vector principle.
He also said China has been an important for Kazakhstan, as trade turnover with China rose to $24 billion and the next plank is $40 billion.
"This country is the largest consumer of Kazakh oil and gas. The leaders of both countries have agreed to cooperate in the project of the revival of the Great Silk Road," Ashimbayev said.
The official said that the vector of cooperation with the European Union also remains unchanged.
About $80 billion has been invested in the Kazakh economy from EU member countries, since Kazakhstan's independence.
The trade turnover between Kazakhstan and the EU member states exceeded $53 billion. Today a new agreement is being prepared on the expansion of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union.
Ashimbayev noted that the U.S. is also an important partner of Kazakhstan.
"American companies are present in such an important sector of the economy as oil and gas. Both of the countries are cooperating in preserving security in Central Asia, where the sore point is Afghanistan," he underscored.
Ashimbayev also mentioned that Kazakhstan's foreign policy also includes an important direction, which is the Turkic-speaking countries.
"Turkey and Azerbaijan set very ambitious goals for entering the group of leading countries, therefore, cooperation with them has a lot of potential for us," he said.
Edited by SI